Our first post looked at conservative Christians’ unquestioning support of Israel through the prism of the Founders. This time, we will look at some of the events that occurred during the establishment of the modern nation of Israel, and during its subsequent relationship with the United States. Can history explain the feeling of responsibility that conservative Christians in America have for Israel?

• 1920 - Following the defeat of the Ottomans in World War I, the British government establishes civilian administration in the newly created geopolitical entity of Palestine.
• 1940 - Zionist paramilitary group Lehi proposes an alliance with Nazi Germany to defeat the British. The proposal in part reads: “The establishment of the historical Jewish state on a national and totalitarian basis, and bound by treaty with the German Reich, would be in the interest of maintaining and strengthening the future German position of power in the Near East.” Lehi would go on to perform a number of assassinations and bombings in Palestine and Europe. For their efforts, a Lehi service ribbon was later established to celebrate their role in the struggle for Israel’s independence. Lehi leader Yitzhak Shamir went on to be elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1983.
• 1944 - Zionist paramilitary group Irgun, under the command of Menachim Begin, declares war on the British in Palestine. The group demands withdrawal of the British government, immediate evacuation of Jews in Europe to Palestine, and transfer of power to a sovereign, Jewish state. To achieve their ends, Irgun initiates a series of attacks and robberies at British police stations. In his personal account of the events, Begin wrote: “History and experience taught us that if we are able to destroy the prestige of the British in Palestine, the regime will break. Since we found the enslaving government’s weak point, we did not let go of it.” Begin would later be elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1977.
• 1948 - After declaring independence, Arab armies attack the newly formed nation of Israel on May 15th. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs and Palestinian Christians flee before the impending war. Most become refugees, unable to return to their homes.
• 1967 - The USS Liberty is attacked in international waters by Israel during the Six-Day War against Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Israel claimed the ship was mistaken for an Egyptian vessel despite bold hull markings and the American flag it was flying. Israeli aircraft assaulted the ship with 30mm cannons, rockets and napalm. Israeli torpedo boats then strafed the ship and fired five torpedoes, one of which struck the Liberty, ripping a 40 foot hole in its hull. When the attack was over, 34 American sailors out of the crew of 294 were dead, and another 171 were wounded. The Israeli government apologized and paid restitution to the victims and their families.
• 1981 - Israel uses American-made aircraft to preemptively bomb a French-built nuclear plant in Iraq. The aircraft flew through Jordanian and Saudi Arabian airspace before delivering the strike that killed 10 Iraqis and a 25 year old French civilian engineer. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher responded by stating that “Armed attack in such circumstances cannot be justified. It represents a grave breach of international law.” Israel claimed that the reactor was close to providing nuclear weapons to be used against them. Nuclear physicist Richard Wilson visited the damaged reactor the following year and stated ” the Osirak reactor that was bombed by Israel in June 1981 was explicitly designed by the French engineer Yves Girard to be unsuitable for making bombs. That was obvious to me on my 1982 visit.”
• 1987 - American intelligence specialist Jonathan Pollard is convicted of spying for Israel. Pollard had been passing classified information to an Israeli Air Force veteran in exchange for money and jewelry. Israel originally denied Pollard worked for them and claimed his contacts were “rogue” entities. In 1998, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Pollard did indeed work for the government of Israel, and has since lobbied for his release. Israel granted Pollard citizenship in 1995.
• 2008 - Former US Army mechanical engineer Ben-ami Kadish pleads guilty to acting as an “unregistered agent for Israel.” Kadish worked in this capacity from 1979 to 1985. During this time he provided classified documents to his Israeli handler containing information about an enhanced F-15 fighter jet, Patriot missile systems, and nuclear weapons.

None of the above is intended to whitewash British Imperialism or the atrocities committed by Arabs in the Middle East. Rather it serves to illustrate the old adage that there are always two sides to every story. Perhaps three sides if you take the forgotten Palestinian Christians into consideration. Israel is hardly blameless, and oftentimes instigates or escalates the atrocities within its own sphere of influence.

Ignorant of these facts, many Christians blindly treat the government of Israel as if it were infallible. The Founders repeatedly warned us to be wary of government; all governments, both here and abroad. John Adams wrote: “The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing.” In an odd twist, dissent against the policies of the United States has become patriotic, while any dissent against the policies of Israel are immediately met with cries of anti-Semitism. As conservative thinker Russell Kirk pointed out in 1988: “Not seldom has it seemed as if some eminent Neoconservatives mistook Tel Aviv for the capital of the United States.”

There is no historical reason for the United States to tether itself to Israel (or any other foreign nation). In fact, there are many reasons to steer clear of this particular foreign entanglement. Foreign influence has done nothing to stabilize the Middle East. To the contrary, in many cases it is the spark that sets off a powder keg.

If the Founders and history don’t obligate conservative Christians to “support” Israel, what is it that compels them to do so? Is there a higher power at work here? Does Christian belief in God’s covenants mandate unquestioned support for Israel? We will consider this in our next post…

christianity, israel, zionism